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8 Communities Instead Of 13 In Yerevan

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  • 8 Communities Instead Of 13 In Yerevan

    8 COMMUNITIES INSTEAD OF 13 IN YEREVAN
    By Ara Martirosian

    AZG Armenian Daily
    20/04/2006

    Community Heads Appointed or Elected?

    As it is known, the issue of Yerevan's status was one of the key
    issues before constitutional amendments were adopted. After a long
    wait the amended constitution declared that the capital should have
    the status of a community and its head should be elected.

    Currently two options of Yerevan's governance system are being
    discussed.

    According to sources close to the government, the first option
    suggests decreasing the number of communities from 13 to 8 and then
    making elective the posts of city mayor and community heads.

    The second option suggests making mayoralty elective and leaving the
    community heads to be appointed by the government.

    It's hard to say now which option will have more appeal for the
    authorities but one can assume that the latter will strive to pass
    the first one. Why?

    For the post-Soviet Armenian authorities the issue of elective
    mayoralty was an argumentative issue. Neither the former nor the
    present-day presidents and authorities wanted to have elective
    mayoralty in Yerevan. While taking the mayor's office, Vano Siradekhian
    openly stated that it is inadmissible to have elective mayor. The
    same opinion dominates today, and the authorities stubbornly refuse
    to yield to the EU's demand. Elective mayoralty used to be viewed as
    a threat to the executive power as the overwhelming majority of our
    country's human and natural resources is concentrated in the capital.

    Therefore, the option of elective mayor and community heads is
    preferable for the authorities. The danger of this option lies in the
    fact that Yerevan will get divided and cease being one united organism
    with all negative consequences stemming out. This separates Yerevan
    with its mayor and community heads tangled up in their interests
    and powers, with no vertical subordination to the authorities and
    consequent irresponsibility. This may suit well for the authorities
    but would be disastrous for the capital.

    The mess in the city construction will continue, green zones will
    keep vanishing, garbage-collecting and transport issues will remain
    unsolved as the mayor and community heads will go on blaming each
    other for the city's problems.

    For Yerevan and its residents elective mayor and appointed community
    heads should be more preferable as it will help keep the capital
    united, will secure vertical subordination and will make clear who
    is responsible for city maintenance. For the abovementioned reasons,
    it's hard though to believe that this option will be chosen.
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